Falls Creek

NOW: Falls Creek, Omeo and Davies Plain Track.

With the mornings getting a little chilly we stopped off at a Ski Shop in Bright to buy some warm hooded jackets to keep the wind at bay by the campfire. Autumn leaves were carpeting the streets. The daytime temperatures were warm and pleasant but we needed our Oz Pig to keep the chill off at night.

From Bright we travelled through Falls Creek and across the Bogong High Plain on a windy day that threatened rain. There were a number of grassy, cold camps along the way and the wind was whipping up waves on Rocky Creek Reservoir as the storm clouds gathered. A narrow sealed road brought us across to Omeo.

Omeo started as a mining area where Chinese miners worked what have become known as the Oriental Claims. Over 50 kms of channels were dug by hand to redirect Livingstone Creek and the water was used to blast the soft clay cliffs and unearth the gold. The mine was worked for over 50 years and yielded millions of dollars of alluvial gold.

From the river flats of Omeo we headed for the hills through Benambra and on to Limestone Road. On to the gravel on Beloka Rd, Mt Hope Rd, Buckwong Track and onto Davies Plain Track.

The Davies Plain Track is not recommended for trailers as it is narrow with some steep rocky sections but with slow pace and careful wheel placement we made the trip comfortably. It’s not very far but was slow going and we’d reached Buckwong Hut by lunchtime. When we pulled up a lone hiker was also having a lunch break and this was the only other person we met on the track.

There was a lovely camp along the track at Charlie’s Creek but we were headed for Davies Plain Hut for our overnight stop. As the sun set, the birds settled for the night and we watched the fire light up the old cattlemen’s hut. It was a pretty special night and just 16 kilometres from Tom Groggon NSW and the source of the mighty Murray River.

NEXT: Tom Groggin and Mt Kosciosko, The NSW Snowy Mountains

On the Emu Track

Cheryl and David.